Paleoethnobotanical and stable isotope studies have demonstrated that the indigenous groups that populated the Antilles, traditionally understood as dependent exclusively on wild resources,... Show morePaleoethnobotanical and stable isotope studies have demonstrated that the indigenous groups that populated the Antilles, traditionally understood as dependent exclusively on wild resources, cultivated and consumed both C3 and C4 plants even before the arrival of the ceramic-bearing Arawak groups. However, the relative importance of cultigens and the differential use of plants, especially maize, between populations and individuals remains un-known. In this paper we combined the analysis of stable isotopes (delta 15N, delta 13Cco, delta 13Cen, delta 13Cap, delta 34S) of 27 in-dividuals from the archaeological site of Playa del Mango, Cuba with the identification of starch grains in dental calculus. The stable isotope results indicate that the sampled population had a 70:30 C3/C4 diet, where at least 65 % was based on C3 protein. Starches from C3 (e.g., Marantaceae, Ipomoea batatas) and C4 plants (Zea mays) were found in similar proportions (50:50). These results support that the lack or abundance of starch grains cannot be used to infer directly the frequency at which C3 and C4 plants were consumed within a small popu-lation. Statistically significant differences between females and males in the carbon isotope composition of diet, and its energy portion, suggests a differential consumption of plants by sex. Playa del Mango individual diets were statistically different from those of coeval sites, supporting our previous findings that groups with different dietary traditions concurrently inhabited Cuba in precolonial times. The study demonstrates the power of combined use of stable isotope models, and starch analysis, to provide a more nuanced reconstruction of dietary practices in past human populations. Show less
This paper explores the potential of combining different isotope systems from different tissues to improve resolution when reconstructing breastfeeding and weaning practices (BWP) in archaeology.... Show moreThis paper explores the potential of combining different isotope systems from different tissues to improve resolution when reconstructing breastfeeding and weaning practices (BWP) in archaeology. Additionally, we tested whether changes in diet can be detected in deciduous teeth. Rib collagen samples from 22 infants/children from the archaeological site of Bacuranao I (Mayabeque, Cuba) were processed for nitrogen (delta N-15) and carbon (delta C-13(co)) stable isotopes and assessed using a Bayesian model (WARN). In addition, enamel of 48 teeth from 30 infants/children were analyzed for oxygen (delta O-18(en)) and carbon (delta C-13(en)) stable isotopes. Data revealed that the timing of weaning cannot be characterized precisely by analyzing either delta O-18 or delta N-15. While a depletion in both delta N-15 and delta C-13(co) is only evident after one year, the WARN model suggested that the weaning process started at around 3 months and ended around 1.7 years. Most teeth were enriched in delta O-18(en) compared to deciduous incisors, suggesting a breastfeeding signal. However, a high variability in delta O-18 was found between similar teeth from the same individuals. Higher enrichment in delta O-18(en), and variability, was observed in tissues formed during the first six months of life. A delta C-13 enrichment of 1.0% was observed among deciduous teeth and ribs. While most individuals enriched in delta N-15 showed enrichment in delta C-13, the delta O-18 values were more variable. Our data suggests that stable isotopes of deciduous teeth, especially delta C-13(en), can be used to detect changes in diet during the weaning process. It is also possible that the delta O-18 enrichment observed in M1 is influenced by the effects of cooking techniques on weaning foods. The combination of multiple isotope systems and tissues overcome some of the limitations posed by single tissue approaches. Show less
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been infecting humans for millennia and remains a global health problem, but its past diversity and dispersal routes are largely unknown. We generated HBV genomic data... Show moreHepatitis B virus (HBV) has been infecting humans for millennia and remains a global health problem, but its past diversity and dispersal routes are largely unknown. We generated HBV genomic data from 137 Eurasians and Native Americans dated between similar to 10,500 and similar to 400 years ago. We date the most recent common ancestor of all HBV lineages to between similar to 20,000 and 12,000 years ago, with the virus present in European and South American hunter-gatherers during the early Holocene. After the European Neolithic transition, Mesolithic HBV strains were replaced by a lineage likely disseminated by early farmers that prevailed throughout western Eurasia for similar to 4000 years, declining around the end of the 2nd millennium BCE. The only remnant of this prehistoric HBV diversity is the rare genotype G, which appears to have reemerged during the HIV pandemic. Show less
